Unions Start 2020 Strong With Small but Well-Paying Contracts

A steady flow of lucrative contracts concentrated in the private sector is propelling union wage gains to their best six-week start to the year in more than a decade, according to Bloomberg Law Data.

Union negotiators bargained for an average 3.6% first-year wage increase across 93 contracts so far in 2020. That’s the strongest six-week stretch to start a year since 2008 when unions negotiated an overall 3.8% first year wage increase.

Although figures tend to fluctuate early in the year when there are limited data points, the numbers are a promising start for workers, having risen steadily since the...